Nintendo Switch 2 review: A great console mired in terrible business decisions

I’ve retired my original Switch for the Nintendo Switch 2, and while there are definitely reasons to not own the new hardware, I’m still loving my time with it. From the amazing third-party support to how great the joys feel in my hands, there’s plenty to love. However, Nintendo definitely bungled this one on quite a few points. I can certainly understand why gamers won’t want to pick one up at launch, and I don’t blame them.

This Nintendo Switch 2 is not a review console, but one I purchased, because I wanted one, even despite its faults. When it comes to the presentation and delivery, in terms of actually playing games, it’s an upgrade on all fronts. That said, there are some issues that are worth discussing.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is, in almost every way, an improvement on the original

The Nintendo Switch 2 is definitely a complicated system to love, and I get that. I will say that it upgrades almost everything about the original hardware, from the size, screen, and the internal workings of the machine. Games look better, load faster, and using the system itself just feels better.

On the surface level, there’s a lot to love about the console. It’s the little things, like the magnetic connection of the Joycons. That just feels incredible to connect and disconnect, every single time. In general, the joycons just feel better. They are slightly larger, and so they feel better in my hands. Docked mode also feels better, more comfortable, than the previous hardware.

I was shocked to my core to find that not only does Cyberpunk 2077 play without lag, without slowdown, and without any major issues, but it looks gorgeous on the Nintendo Switch 2. Sure, it might look better on my PC, but can you imagine running it on the previous Switch? It would have immediately caught fire.

It was also simple to swap my saves and other data between my old Switch and the new one. The only trial I faced was trying to find another place nearby to plug both Switches in, so I could actually transfer the data in the first place. It’s not all sunshine and roses, though. There are some drawbacks to highlight.

The Nintendo Switch 2’s hardware has some flaws, such as a weak battery life and joycon issues

The battery life of the Nintendo Switch 2 might be its weakest part for me, personally. In handheld, I can only get around two hours or so of gametime, before it’s nearly drained of power. That’s what I got when I was playing Cyberpunk 2077. It wasn’t too much better on other games.

While I seldom play in handheld mode, it’s still worth pointing out. I also wanted to point out the Joycons, because, while it hasn’t happened to me yet, there are players already reporting Joycon drift right away. At least Nintendo did say it would replace those free of charge, but it has to be deflating to see it happen so soon.

There’s already a solution to stick drift in the world, with Hall Effect sticks. They’re starting to become more common, so I’m shocked it’s not something that came with these new Joycons. One other minor complaint isn’t one of mine, but I’ve heard third-party docks don’t work. I don’t own any of those, but that could be something that frustrates other gamers, so it’s worth mentioning.

Nintendo Switch 2 has mediocre first-party launch titles, amazing third-party support

While the Nintendo Switch 2 does have a pretty weak first-party lineup, there are other games on the way. This would be a major dealbreaker, if it weren’t for the incredible third-party support this console has. So far, I’ve played quite a few amazing games:

There’s no shortage of amazing games worth playing on the console, and every single one of them has performed admirably. I’ve not had a single issue with any of the games, in terms of performance or quality. That said, there is an issue with the first-party games on the Nintendo Switch 2: their price.

The trouble with first-party titles and the Game-key cards

First-party Switch 2 titles being $80 USD is such a remarkably unfortunate decision. I’m sure Nintendo has a reason for this, but it can’t possibly be a good one. I can’t think of a single person that’s perfectly fine with the cost, and sees nothing negative about it.

I only bought Mario Kart World reluctantly, because I have a bunch of friends who I could possibly play it with sometime in the future. I hope this is something Nintendo walks back, because the discourse around it isn’t going to get better.

The other problem with this is first-party Nintendo games almost never go on sale, or reduce in price. You can’t simply wait for them to get cheaper, because it seldom happens. This is going to make a lot of gamers very unhappy.

Then there’s the matter of the Game-key carts. Almost every game so far is a Game-key cart, which means the cart only serves as a way to download the game itself. As someone who primarily purchases digital games, I’m not really affected by this, but I know many gamers who are furious about it.

If it hypothetically made the games cheaper to produce, that’d be one thing. But if it were cheaper to produce, why is Mario Kart World still $80 USD? It doesn’t make sense as a marketing move, if you want to keep your customers happy.

Even games that performed poorly on the original Switch are improved on the Nintendo Switch 2

I do want to highlight this, because it was a big part of my experience as a Switch 1 owner. When I reviewed Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, I didn’t experience too much of the bad slowdown, until the end of the game, and then again in the DLC I reviewed. It felt borderline unplayable.

I loaded the game up on the Switch 2, and though it’s a cliche, it felt like a completely new game. Loading times were incredible, gameplay felt ultra smooth. There were no moments of slowdown or lag, no matter what I was doing. All of my Switch 1 games I tried felt incredible on this new hardware.

Final thoughts

Though my love of the Nintendo Switch 2 is complicated, it’s not one I feel bad about. The console itself is amazing, even if there are some very unfortunate business and marketing decisions surrounding it. Most of that stuff can be changed or walked back in the future, and I hope it is.

I’m not keen about concepts like “You don’t own your games,” but that’s also not entirely new. We technically don’t own our Steam games either, but nobody is up in arms about that. The price of first-party games is maddening, and already seeing Joycon drift is abysmal. Seeing the “console tour” game not be free either (Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour) is a choice that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Even with the negatives, it’s an incredible console. Every game on it looks stunning, and I’ve been in love with it since purchasing it. It’s going to feel familiar enough for a Switch 1 owner, but it is also in many ways an upgrade.

Nintendo Switch 2

• Release Date: June 5, 2025
• Manufactured by: Nintendo
• Cost: $449 USD (Bundle is $499.99 USD)
• Contents: Switch 2 device, Dock, 2 joycons, AC Adapter, HDMI cable, joycon grips
• Console size: 4.5” tall x 7.9: wide, 2” thick
• Internal Storage: 256GB, expandable with microSD Express card
• Joy-Cons: 2, magnetically attachable
• Game Modes: TV, Tabletop, Handheld
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, Headphone Jack, 2x USB-C (Dock), Gigabit Ethernet (Dock), HDMI 2.1
• Weight: 18.8 oz
• Display Docked: 720/1080/1440, up to 120Hz, 4K at 60Hz via HDMI with HDR10